Comcast spokewoman Jennifer Khoury said the company paid some people to
arrive early and hold places in the queue for local Comcast employees
who wanted to attend the hearing.

Some of those placeholders,
however, did more than wait in line: they filled many of the seats at
the meeting, according to eyewitnesses. As a result, scores of Comcast
critics and other members of the public were denied entry because the
room filled up well before the beginning of the hearing.

Some audience members appeared to sleep through the proceedings,
according to photos taken during the hearing. Other applauded
enthusiastically when Comcast executive vice president David L. Cohen delivered key points in his presentation.